Electro-magnetic reciprocating engine



(No Model.) G. J. VAN DEPOELE.

ELEGTRO MAGNETIC REGIPROOATING ENGINE. \E 7 No. 338,375. Patented May. 23, 1886.

wm h

N PETERS. "iIDlO-Llihogmpncr. \VnshmglomQC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC RECiPROCATlNG ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,375, dated March 23, 1886. Application filed February '1, 1885. Renewod February 24, 1886. Serial No. 193,095. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Reciprocating Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of reciprocating electric engines having a solenoid made up of a series of coils which are energized and act on a core reciprocating in said solenoid; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement and the combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings, which show one form of my invention, illustrate an engine designed more particularly for operating drills in mines, although it may be used for other purposes.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my engine, mounted on a carriage running on rails for work in a mine. graminatic sectional view showing the circuits, and to some extent the construction of the solenoid and cores. Fig. 3 is an end view of the coils of the solenoid. Figs. 4 and 5 show side and end views of a brass tube over which the coils are placed.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, A is a piston-rod, preferably of hard brass or bronze.

B is a piston, of soft iron,rigidly attached to the rod A, with which it travels under theinfluence of a solenoid, O, which is composed of a number of short coils, a Z) c d efg h ij k Z m n 0 p g, each made of a single continuous copper strip or band insulated its entire length, and having its inner end turned outward, as shown in Fig. 3, while its outer end is free. All these coils are mounted upon a tube or cylinder, T,of hard brass or phosphor-bronze, slotted longitudinally the whole length of the solenoid, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. After all the coils a b c, 850., have been put in place and their inner ends brought outward, the outer end of one coil is connected to the inner end of the next one throughout the whole series-that is to say, the outer end of coil a is Fig. 2 is a diet-- connected to the inner end of coil b, the outer end of coil b is connected to the inner end of coil 0, and so on through the entire series. The exposed terminals are then suitably connected to a commutator, E, each section of the solenoid being connected to a corresponding section of said commutator.

F and F are brush-holders carrying suitable brushes pressing upon the commutator E, F being in metallic contact with the spindle Z, while F is insulated from the same, but is in electrical contact, as shown in dotted lines, with an insulated ring, 0, which is in turn in electrical contact with the positive terminal P of the apparatus.

Upon the spindle Z is fitted a sleeve carrying the crossbar XV,for the brush-holders, the insulated ring 0, and a pinion, I, meshing with a rack, I, attached to a plunger or core, II, which travels to and fro in a double solenoid,

G, thus communicating motion to the pinion I and the commutator-brushes F and F upon the commutator E.

Fastened to the plunger H, and of course moving with it, is a rod, J, carrying three rings, a a a", two of which, a and a, are adjustable on J, while a is loose upon and insulated from it, but connected mechanically 83 with a switch, K, pivoted upon a standard, K, which is connected withthe negative terminal N, or the switch may be connected directly with the negative terminal. This switch is caused to oscillate by the rings a u on the 8 bar J, and thus is alternately brought in contact with each of the two contact-plates L L.

M M are guides upon each side of the casing of the apparatus, between which bars, as M, slide, each of which has a trunnion, X,mounted 0 in a bearing in the standard R, rising from a platform, It, which is pivoted to the carriageframe 0, having wheels 20 w,adapted to run on the rails z c, by which arrangement the point of the drill can be moved either up or down 5 by the operator moving the handle M, and thus turning the engine on the trunnions X, or it can be moved laterally by the turning of the platform on the carriage.

At V is shown a head or flange, against which the operator who sits behind the machine can push with his foot to move the machine along as the work progresses.

At S is shown a strong coiled spring set between the guides M and having its points of resistance between the ends of the bars 1v 'and a projection at the end of the groove formed by the guides, which spring takes up the recoil at each stroke.

Having described the different parts of the apparatus, I will now explain the operation of the same, beginning by showing the circults through the different coils and. parts. The current from any convenient source of electricity enters at P, and by a suitable brush passes to theinsulated ring 0. From here by a propenconductor to brush F, by which the current is led to the commutator E, entering one side of said commutator, passing through a certain number of coils in the solenoid and out of the commutator by brush F and crossbar W to shaft 2, from whence the current is led to the double solenoid G, where it enters two inside wires of said solenoid, passing through the same out at L and L, and by means of the switch K the current is brought to the negative terminal N of the source of electricity. Thus it will be seen that the moment a current of sufficient strength is circulated through the apparatus the plunger or core H will be moved to'and fro in the double solenoid, said motion at each end producing the change of current in the solenoid G by means of the rod J and switch K working upon the contacts L and L, which are the opposite terminals of the double coils of the solenoid G. The motion of the plunger H causes the rack I, to give motion to the pinion Lwhich works the brushes]? and F to and fro upon the commutator E, so that the current circulating through thesolen oid G will be constantly shifted to and fro, thus causing the piston or plunger B to follow the change of current in the coils a b c d, &c., of solenoid O. The proportions between the plungerHand the solenoid Gare such that the plunger H will make a certain number of strokesa minute, which can, however, be further adjusted by means of the adj ustable rings a and u on the rod J. The closer these are set the faster the plunger will work, while the farther apart they are the slower it will work. The most economic speed will be that which gives sufficient time for the plunger B to follow the movements of plunger H. If the latter travels too fast, the

plunger B will not be able to follow the movement fast enough, and the apparatus would be able to perform but very little work; but if H goes too slow there would not be sufficient velocity in B to strik such a blow as is required of it. 7 By adj us -ing the collars a and u on rod J the length of the stroke of H will be altered, and consequently the travel of the brushes upon the commutator, thus controlling the number of sections to be energized in the solenoid, which in turn will modify the blow and travel of the main core B. It will be seen that by this to-and-fro arrangement of shifting the brushes the latter stand still, as

it were, for quite a lapse of time, thus giving a better opportunity for "B to do its full work. V a

As shown in Fig. 2, the plungerHhas just madeits backward stroke, and before it returns B will have moved forward. Then H accomplishes its forward stroke, when B will becarried backward, and so on as long as the current is supplied to the machine. By placing the brush-holders F and F so as to embrace a larger or smaller number of the 'sections at b c d, &c., more or less power can be imparted to B. As shown in Fig. 2, the current enters the solenoid at section a, passes through I) c d e, &c., coming out at t to the corresponding section on the commutator. E.

In practice I find that the rod A is preferably made of hard brass, phosphor-bronze, or some other non-magnetic material, for when the rod A-is made of steel or iron it is influenced by the coils in the solenoid, and the motion of the iron plunger B is considerably retarded, so much so that the effioiency of the machine is considerably lowered. Thus I find it essential to usesomenon-magnetic material for said rod. I find also that, in order to obtain the maximum result from the solenoid 0 upon the core or plunger B, it is necessary to perforate or slot the tube or cylinder T at least as far as the coils are placed.

The object of the perforation or slots in'the diagmetic tube is to avoid the induced currents around the mass of the tube,usual where the cylinder or tube is entire. These induced currents have the effect of diminishing the magnetization on the core, thus rendering the machine less effective. The two extremities can remain continuous, thus keeping the cylindcr together and giving it the strength where it is needed. The power of the engine is also increased by placing at least on the'forward end a disk of iron, D, which becomes magnetized under the influence of the current in the solenoid at the same time as'the plunger B,

which is thus more forcibly attracted.

The coils a b c d, &c., constituting the solenoid, are easier made of copper strips of one width for each section than they would be of copper wire, and they wind closerv and give better results.

It is to be understood that the mode of working the commutatorof the main solenoid O can be accomplished by a variety of means without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I have shown a series of sixteen separate coils, but do not limit myself to this number, as it is evident it canbeingreased or decreased at the pleasure of the constructor.

I make no claim to the mode of mounting the engine on the carriage or the use of the IIG springs for easing the recoil, as these features will form the subject-matter of a separate application.

What I claim as new is 1. In an electric engine, a main electromotor, and a minor electromotor acting independently of said main motor, in combination with a current-controller operated by said minor mot-or, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an electric engine, of a main core, a solenoid composed of coils acting on the core in opposite directions alternately, and a minor motor acting independently of the main core and solenoid, with a current-controller operated by said minor motor, substantially as described.

3. In an electric engine, a main traveling core, a solenoid composed of a series of individual coils acting on said core, connected to a commutator, and a minor electromotor acting independently of said main core, in combination With said commutator, and brushes acting thereon and moved by said minor motor, substantially as described.

at. In an electric engine, a traveling core, a solenoid acting on said core, composed of a series of individual coils arranged side by side and connected to a commutator, in combination with said commutator, brushes acting thereon, and an electromotor operating said brushes and working independently of said traveling core, substantially as described.-

5. In an electric engine, a traveling core, a series of individual coils acting on said core and connected to a commutator, in combination with brushes acting on said commutator, and a secondary core and solenoid for giving motion to said brushes, substantially as de scribed.

6. In an electric engine, a traveling core, a solenoid acting on the same, composed of a series of individual coils connected to a commutator, in combination with brushes acting on said commutator, a secondary core and solenoid for operating said brushes, and a circuit-controller operated by the movement of the secondary core, substantially as described.

7. In an electric engine, a core and a solenoid acting thereon, composed of a number of individual coils mounted side by side and connected to a commutator, in combination with said commutator and a secondary electromotor, and brushes moved upon said com mutator by means of said secondary electromotor, operating independently of the main or working core, substantially as described.

8. In an electric engine, a sectional solenoid provided with a commutator, the sections of which correspond to the sections of the solenoid, and a plunger operated by said solenoid, in combination with an independent motor, a pair of brushes moved upon the commutator by means of said independent motor, and means, substantially as described, for regulating the speed and stroke of the plunger in the sectional solenoid, substantially as described. 9. In an electromagnetic engine, asolenoid mounted upon a diamagnctic tube having longitudinal slots extending the whole length of the solenoid, in order to expose the moving plunger to the direct action of the solenoid to increase its power, substantially as described. 10. In an electromagnetic engine, asolenoid mounted upon a perforated diamagnetic tube, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. The combination, in an electromotor, of the rod J, operated by said motor, and provided with the adjustable rings a u, with a current-controller, K, moved by said rings, substantially as described.

12. The combination, in an electric engine, of the core B, the solenoid G, for operating saidcore, and having its sections connected to a commutator, with the secondary solenoid G, the secondary core H, for operating the brushes of the commutator, and the current-controller operated by the motion of the secondary core, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of February, 1885.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Witnesses:

AMos K. STILES, WILLIAM A. STILES. 

